Trichinosis (patient information)

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Trichinosis
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Prevention
Where to find medical care for Trichinosis?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Prevention
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Directions to Hospitals Treating Trichinosis
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Trichinosis is infection with the roundworm Trichinella spiralis.

What are the symptoms of Trichinosis?

• Abdominal discomfort
• Cramping
• Diarrhea
• Facial swelling around the eyes
• Fever
• Muscle pain (especially muscle pain with breathing, chewing, or using large muscles)
• Muscle weakness

What causes Trichinosis?

Trichinosis is a disease caused by eating undercooked meat containing cysts of Trichinella spiralis. Trichinella spiralis can be found in pork, bear, walrus, fox, rat, horse, and lion meat.

Wild animals, especially carnivores (meat eaters) or omnivores (animals that eat both meat and plants), should be considered a possible source of roundworm disease. Domestic meat animals raised specifically for eating under USDA guidelines and inspection can be considered safe.

Trichinosis is a common infection worldwide, but is seldom seen in the United States because of strict rules regarding the feeding of domestic animals and meat-processing inspections.

When a person eats meat from an infected animal, Trichinella cysts break open in the intestines and grow into adult roundworms.

The roundworms produce other worms that move through the gut wall and into the bloodstream. These organisms tend to invade muscle tissues, including the heart and diaphragm (the breathing muscle under the lungs). They can also affect the lungs and brain.

There are approximately 40 cases of trichinosis each year in the U.S.

Diagnosis

The patient may have a history of having eaten rare or uncooked pork, horsemeat, or wild game. Tests to diagnose this condition include:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Eosinophil count
• Creatine kinase level (an enzyme found in muscle cells)
• Muscle biopsy

Treatment options

Mebendazole or albendazole can be used to treat infections in the intestines. There is no specific treatment for trichinosis once the larvae have invaded the muscles. The cysts remain viable for years. Pain killers can help relieve muscle soreness.

Where to find medical care for Trichinosis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Trichinosis